Drummer Zak Starkey has officially left The Who.
It’s been a bad week for drummers in iconic rock bands – a matter of hours after Foo Fighters jettisoned Josh Freese (leaving him “shocked and disappointed”) it seems that The Who have now parted ways with Zak Starkey.
The drummer has been a core part of The Who for over 20 years, but recent shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall seemed to bring long-standing issues to the fore. Zak Starkey went public and said he had been fired for “over playing” – with the band then issuing a statement saying the disagreement had been smoothed over.
Earlier today The Who’s Pete Townshend shared yet another statement, detailing that Zak Starkey had indeed left the band. In an official note on The Who’s social media, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey write:
The Who are heading for retirement, whereas Zak is 20 years younger and has a great future with his new band and other exciting projects. He needs to devote all his energy into making it all a success. We both wish him all the luck in the world. Scott Devours – Who fans will know him from Roger’s solo shows – will be replacing Zak. We hope all our fans will welcome him.
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In response, Zak Starkey has shared a statement, claiming that he was asked to tell the public he had quit The Who – but he refused.
I was fired two weeks after reinstatement and asked to make a statement saying I had quit The Who to pursue my other musical [endeavours]. This would be a lie. I love The Who and would never had quit. So I didn’t make the statement …. quitting The Who would also have let down the countless amazing people who stood up for me (thank you all a million times over and more) thru the weeks of mayhem of me going in an out an in an out an in an out like a bleedin squeezebox x
The Who will play a North American farewell tour later this year, with Scott Devours on drums. Could Zak Starkey’s next move be rejoining a reformed Oasis…? The Manchester legends have yet to confirm the line-up for this summer’s enormous reunion shows, but speculation is rife that with space in his diary Zak could return to the fold.
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